My Cancer Journey

Herceptin, the drug that attacks the HER2 cells, can cause heart failure. Only 1-2% is permanent, but doctors want to take precautions just in case. I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse in 1988 after my last child was born, so my oncologist wanted to be extra careful. (Mitral Valve Prolapse is when one of the heart valves does not close properly between each beat. This may cause the valve to leak blood back into the heart after it has pumped it out. It is usually not very serious, but it is important to not get an infection above your heart. An infection will contaminate your blood and can cause it to leak back through the problem valve into the heart. Contaminated blood in your heart can be dangerous. This is why it is important to make sure that your teeth, for instance, are healthy.) Therefore, on Wednesday, September 6 I had an echocardiogram (ECG) to make sure my heart would be able to handle the Herceptin infusions. The cardiologist delivered some great news. My heart was p...

Because the tumor showed to be less than 2 cm (.78 inches) and the lymph nodes did not look to be affected, my oncologist suggested weekly Taxol IV chemotherapy after the lumpectomy. It is a drug that attacks everything in your body. It kills the cancer cells, but also that which helps your body stay healthy. This is why many lose their hair while on this regimen.  Losing your hair does not sound like fun, but getting Taxol treatments will also lower your immune system because it kills your white blood cells as well. The white blood cells attack viruses that enter your body. They help you fight viruses and other illnesses. This is the scariest of the side effects because it can lower your immune system to the point where even something simple like a cold can be serious. This is why it is important to stay away from those who are sick while going through chemo. Taxol is administered once per week and builds up in your body during the twelve weeks it is given. This should kill whatev...

Monday, August 14, I had a consultation with a surgeon. The ultrasound and biopsy showed that I had invasive lobular carcinoma. This is why the tumor was not round, but flat with tentacle like offshoots. It also showed it was not large, 1.6 centimeters (16 millimeters, or .63 inches) at the longest part. The best news was that the lymph nodes looked normal, so no worries about it having spread beyond the original tumor. This was all positive. The surgeon said he would be able to perform a lumpectomy, cut out the tumor only, rather than a mastectomy, cut off the whole breast. He could do this before I went through chemotherapy because of the small size of the tumor.  The oncologist confirmed everything the surgeon said when I saw her on August 31. She added that the tumor was grade 2. They are graded 1-3, 1 being slow growing, and 3 fast growing. The biopsy also showed that the tumor tested positive for estrogen and progesterone, meaning that it feeds off those hormones. Being post ...